The Impact of Future Land Use Scenarios on Runoff Volumes in the Muskegon River Watershed

In this article we compared the response of surface water runoff to a storm event for different rates of urbanization, reforestation and riparian buffer setbacks across forty subwatersheds of the Muskegon River Watershed located in Michigan, USA. We also made these comparisons for several forecasted and one historical land use scenarios (over 140 years). Future land use scenarios to 2040 for forest regrowth, urbanization rates and stream setbacks were developed using the Land Transformation Model (LTM). Historical land use information, from 1900 at 5-year time step intervals, was created using a Backcast land use change model configured using artificial neural network and driven by agriculture and housing census information. We show that (1) controlling the rate of development is the most effective policy option to reduce runoff; (2) establishing setbacks along the mainstem are not as effective as controlling urban growth; (3) reforestation can abate some of the runoff effects from urban growth but not all; (4) land use patterns of the 1970s produced the least amount of runoff in most cases in the Muskegon River Watershed when compared to land use maps from 1900 to 2040; and, (5) future land use patterns here not always lead to increased (worse) runoff than the past. We found that while ten of the subwatersheds contained futures that were worse than any past land use configuration, twenty-five (62.5%) of the subwatersheds produced the greatest amount of runoff in 1900, shortly after the entire watershed was clear-cut. One third (14/40) of the subwatersheds contained the minimum amount of runoff in the 1960s and 1970s, a period when forest amounts were greatest and urban amounts relatively small.     

A Study of Physicomechanical and Morphological Properties of Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) Based Films

Starch/Poly(vinylalcohol) blends in two different ratios (60:40 and 50:50) were prepared with glycerol as a plasticizer. Films were cast by a solution casting method. One set of films were filled with 10 wt% of unmodified bentonite clay and another set of films were crosslinked with epichlorohydrin in an alkaline medium. The prepared film samples were subjected to X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical characterization and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Significant changes in the tensile properties were observed depending on the different chemical constituents of the films. The presence of clay and crosslinking with epichlorohydrin were both found to have considerable effect on the morphology and mechanical property of the films. The SEM investigations, XRD analysis and FTIR studies revealed the interaction between the various chemical components of the films.     

REVISITING STATE WATER RIGHTS LAW1

ABSTRACT: Water resources professionals should be engaged actively in revisiting state water rights law. During the past four years, sponsored by the American Society of Civil Engineers with cooperation of other water resources organizations, over a hundred engineers, hydrologists, geographers, lawyers, administrators, educators, water users, and other persons interested in water law have been preparing a Model State Water Rights Code. Preliminary drafts of the Model Code have been considered in four states, and its provisions will be disseminated nationally to state legislators and other policy makers upon formal publication in September 1994. The Model Code gathers the best provisions from state water laws into comprehensive regulated riparian and prior appropriation provisions, includes commentaries explaining how its textual sections address water resources planning and management issues, and references similar language in current state water statutes. The goal of the Code Project is to provide materials which will assist legislators so they can enact effective, efficient, and equitable water laws. In the future, the Code drafting group will expand its efforts to develop legal guidelines for allocating shared transboundary water resources, water quality law, federal water statutes, and other water resources legal issues.     

Mineral reserves: Projected lifetimes and security of supply

This article analyses the lifetimes of reserves of three dozen important minerals. Despite the high rate of their extraction in the past 30 years, the recorded reserves of these non-renewable materials were higher in 1981 than in 1950 and they seem to meet foreseeable demand for a long time to come, as indicated by the estimated static lifetime for each of the minerals covered. The dynamic nature of ‘reserves’ is emphasized: further exploration and scientific and technological advance will add to the present proven reserves, and at a higher price further resources will be ‘upgraded’ into commercially exploitable reserves. Apparent long-term security can be disturbed by natural disasters, political events or other factors, especially in the case of minerals whose reserves and production are highly concentrated in one country. However, any such interruption in the continuity of supply is likely to be short-lived.     

Treatment of MTBE using fenton's reagent

This article addresses the removal of methyl tertiary‐butyl ether (MTBE) from water, using Fenton's Reagent. Although complete mineralization of MTBE by Fenton's Reagent was not achieved, greater than 99 percent destruction of MTBE was realized. This was accomplished at a Fe⁺²:H₂O₂ ratio of 1:1 and 1 hour of contact time. In all tests, twice the stoichiometric ratio of H₂O₂ to MTBE was used. The major by‐products were tertiary‐butyl alcohol, tertiary‐butyl formate, and acetone with traces of 2‐methyl‐1‐propene (isobutylene). While small quantities of O₂ evolved, no significant quantity of CO₂ gas was detected.     

Song rates of dark-eyed juncos do not increase when females are fertile

Frequency of singing by birds may vary with reproductive stage in ways that reflect variation in the functions of song in intersexual and intrasexual communication. In dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) high-amplitude song is produced only by males. To investigate the function of this song, we tested whether fertility of females affected singing by their mates or by neighboring males. Using focal observations, song censuses, and radiotracking data, we determined whether song production varied between and among periods when females were fertile and non-fertile. Our findings show that males do not increase song production when their mates are fertile, nor do they increase song production when neighboring females are fertile. These results suggest that male juncos do not signal their intent to defend territories (or mates) more when females are fertile and that they do not use song to advertise to specific potential participants in extra-pair fertilizations. Received: 13 February 1997 / Accepted after revison: 2 May 1997